In a purple haze
Fans were lofted to seventh heaven as the hometown star returned for three
shows in a row.
By Jon Bream, Star Tribune
Last update: July 07, 2007 - 11:53 PM
"Minneapolis, I am home," Prince declared after his first song on Saturday.
This was going to be no ordinary Prince homecoming. On the seventh day of
the seventh month in the year '07, the Purple One was venturing where he'd
never gone before: three concerts at three separate venues in three
consecutive blocks in downtown Minneapolis in the course of 10 or 12 hours.
Doesn't he ever rest?
The first show of the tripleheader was at Macy's department store on a
Saturday afternoon, the most unlikely place for a hometown concert. He
agreed to play seven songs to promote his new perfume, 3121. But in a
furiously funky and fast-paced 45 minutes, Prince squeezed in nine numbers.
Afterward, Edward Thomas, 33 -- who flew from Houston with his wife,
6-year-old daughter and mother-in-law to baby-sit -- was singing the praises
of Prince. "He is the only entertainer I go to see live," said the
accountant, who has seen eight Purple shows. "We'll spend about $4,000 on
this weekend. It's definitely worth it. I'd do it again."
And he hadn't even seen the second show in the tripleheader at Target
Center, which was included in the $250 package for Macy's and a couple of
bottles of the perfume. (Tickets for the nightcap at First Avenue were sold
separately on Saturday afternoon, as people lined up four-abreast around the
entire block for 1,500 tickets.)
Prince doing a tripleheader happens about as often as Justin Morneau hitting
three home runs in one game. Saturday's trifecta was the Rock Hall of
Famer's most aggressive hometown statement since he did five Christmas week
shows at the old St. Paul Civic Center in 1984 during the Purple Rain Tour.
The Macy's gig was his most unusual setting since he played at a Holiday Inn
ballroom in Sheridan, Wyo., in 1986 after the premiere of his movie "Under
the Cherry Moon" -- a locale determined by an MTV contest.
Prince performing for 1,400 people in the eighth-floor auditorium of the
department store formerly known as Dayton's happens about as often as
Minnesota's other purple icon wins the Super Bowl. Oops, the Vikings are
overdue now.
The first-floor fragrance section of Macy's was reeking of perfume and
purple -- sparkling drapes, custom-made rugs with "3121" part of the pattern
and four purple chandeliers.
The stage was not elaborate, with an overhead star outlined in red lights.
Prince gave the kind of performance that declared "Baby, I'm a star,"
tearing through a few songs from last year's CD, "3121," two songs
associated with Sheila E (who was sitting in his band), two tunes from
"Purple Rain" and his new single, the rip-roaring "Guitar," which will be
featured on his new CD, "Planet Earth," due July 24.
In honor of Prince's triple play, the governor of Minnesota and the mayor of
Minneapolis both declared it "Prince Roger Nelson Day."
7 fans rate the show
If you couldn't gather by now, Prince has a thing about the number seven.
Born on the 7th of June (he turned 49 -- seven squared -- this year), he had
a hit in 1992 called "7." The numbers in "3121" add up to seven. He last
performed at Target Center in 1997 and at First Avenue in 1987. So we
thought it appropriate to ask seven of the 1,500 fans at Macy's -- people
came from as far away as Japan and Europe -- to rate the show on a scale of
1 to 7.
Mechelle Gonzalez, 41, San Francisco, who has seen him more than 100 times
in concert: "It was wonderful. He fell into the crowd at the end and I had
my hand around his waist." Rating: 7.
Brian Turner, 48, New Hope and morning host on radio station Cities, um, 97
who saw Prince regularly at First Ave in the 1980s: "It reminded me that he
is arguably the best live performer on the planet. Prince is like Picasso.
He has his different periods. I hope he does it 'til he's 90." Rating: 8.
Sherri Jordan-Nuckles, 41, Atlanta, who has seen 66 shows: "It was the
ultimate Prince experience." Rating: 3121.
Jan Peterson, 52, Greenwood, Minn., four times: "It was fantastic." Rating:
100.
R.T. Rybak, 51, Minneapolis mayor who was wearing the same paisley shirt he
wore when he saw the hometown hero in 1987: "Prince can make a Minnesota
Minnesotan look funky, including a middle-aged mayor. Since 'Purple Rain,'
the rest of us may have lost a beat but he hasn't." Rating: 7
Dorene Jackson, Minneapolis, who used to watch Prince rehearse in her aunt's
basement when he was in high school (her cousin Andre Cymone was in the
band), 10 times: "It was awesome. He's so talented. I'm really glad he's
from Minnesota." Rating: 7.
James Kidd, 39, Hilton Head, S.C., who has seen at least 50 shows and has
tickets for three more in London next month: "It was absolutely amazing
considering it was at Macy's. He normally does small venues as the
after-shows." Rating: "6 because of the length."
Although Kidd was excited about the soon-to-begin proper concert at Target
Center (where the doors opened 75 minutes later than scheduled and tickets
cost as much as $131.21), he was disappointed that he wasn't able to buy a
ticket to the after-show at First Avenue (where tickets were only $31.21,
not $77.07), the landmark club associated with Prince since "Purple Rain"
was filmed there.
"Maybe it's God's way of telling me to sleep," Kidd said.
Yeah, someone please tell that to Prince.
Late at Target Center
In front of 15,000 people at Target Center, Prince played it late, loose and
laughing, with lots of passionate, roaring guitar. Since he's always been in
his own time-zone, he took the stage at 10:05 for an 8:30 p.m. concert. Of
course, he'd changed outfits since Macy's and swapped Sheila E for Wendy
Melvoin, guitarist with Prince & the Revolution. So naturally he started
with "Purple Rain" and "Take Me with U."
His Purpleness was more talkative than ever in his hometown. He invited
people onstage to dance and joked about one man looking like his gym
teacher. He summoned a man, who could have passed for a retired
Vikings-sized lineman, onstage to sing "Play That Funky Music." And Prince
even played cover boy himself, doing the Cars' "Let's Go" and the Beatles'
"Come Together."
After a duo set with Melvoin that included "Raspberry Beret" and "Sometimes
It Snows in April," Prince broke into the anthem for the trifecta -- "7."
Of course, to him, the night was still young. "You got a cellphone?" he
asked. "Call your babysitter. We'll be here all night. And I'm still going
to go to church in the morning."
Jon Bream . 612-673-1719 . [EMAIL PROTECTED]
C 2007 Star Tribune. All rights reserved.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
NewPowerNewYork Mailing List
website: Www.NPNY.Org
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unsubscribe? Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED], in body place npny
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Questions/Help?: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
